thekarmicnomad A drunk, washed-up poet is hired to solve a family mystery.The main character is a highly literate pompous old fellow struggling with his own existence. A lot of the comedy comes from him insulting people using very long words, which I found very amusing.There is not a lot to this movie. Don't expect dramatic plot twists, edge of the seat action, moving performances or fire works of any kind. But this film achieves what it sets out to do perfectly!This film is gentle, interesting, funny and quite refreshing.This is definitely a Sunday afternoon watch, but for that time slot it is perfect! Production, acting, script are all exceptional!This film hasn't tried to reach too far and it pays off dividends.Watch this after your Sunday roast with a drink for a perfect afternoon.

Paul Creeden We have been christened by spunk inspired by Stephen Fry. Perhaps not miraculous. Perhaps always pompous. Perhaps always hilarious. Who better than nearly omnipresent Roger Allam to be the vessel of Bard Fry's venom? I say: Absolutely none. The supporting cast did not always rise to the occasion. Some of the editing could have been better. The boiler plate mansion seemed a bit tired. All in all, it was a good time. Fry's ability to poke fun at mystical and religious tom-foolery never flags. Even an offended fairy-believer would have to howl occasionally, if she had a sense of humor. It's good to see Fry's work presented well, even though I would hardly expect him to think so.

crabsky The pompous arrogance and traits of Stephen Fry come blaring through at you this entire movie. The verbose lavatorial narrative was actually quite wearying and excessive to the point that it became irritating. The attempted 'humour' was dull and boring, I don't believe I was brought to laughter once. Fry's own slanted view of women and sex is brash to say the least, along with weak characters and dialogue, dare I go on..Honestly, I was expecting to sit down and watch an entertaining British comedy however was sorely unimpressed.

begob A clapped out poet brings his powers of perception to an English country house acclaimed for its miraculous cures, and finds more than he bargained for ...Lovely doff of the cap to English detective fiction that declines to avert its gaze into the nonsense of the convention. The theme of miracle cures is important, so the one scene of emotion toward the end matters a lot - I didn't feel it, maybe because the moment of death was never addressed thematically. Hey - it's a country estate, built on the deaths of others.The pace and humour are good, and the hero is perfectly smashed and detached. The weakness is in the supporting characters - not the performances, but their drama and the necessity of their presence. No great turns or lines, and I guess that's down to the original writing.Music and sets are gorgeous, editing keeps it clipping along.Overall: Insightful and entertaining, not so dramatic.